( dpa )- German cyclist Andre Greipel won Australia's Tour Down Under in commanding style on Sunday by doubling the lead he held over second-place Alan Davis.
The 25-year-old from Rostock riding for the High Road Team surprised the pack of 130 riders by winning four of the six stages for his first ever major stage-race win.
The Tour Down Under is the first cycling event outside Europe to be accorded the cherished ProTour status. In the final stage, Greipel raced away from Australia's Davis to increase his winning margin to 15 seconds.
Australian riders Stuart O'Grady, Simon Gerrans and Robbie McEwen had been expected to dominate the tour but were placed in the shade by Greipel .
The final stage was an 88-kilometre street race in Adelaide in which the former Team T-Mobile rider showed his class by putting aside his feelings at being baulked in the intermediate sprint to grab the final sprint, the stage and the race.